Dietary Fiber Intake among Normal-Weight and Overweight Female Health Care Workers: An Exploratory Nested Case-Control Study within FINALE-Health

Abstract EN

Socioeconomic factors affect choice of diet, that is, dietary fiber intake.

Underreporting of food consumption in diet surveys has been reported higher in low-income, low-education groups compared to high-income, high-education groups.

This paper examines in a socioeconomic homogenous low-income low-education group of females the relation between dietary fiber intake and overweight and scrutinizes if the level of underreporting is equally large in normal-weight and overweight groups.

Thirty-four female health care workers classified as either normal-weight (N=18) or obese (N=16) based on BMI, fat percentage, and waist circumference participated.

A detailed food-diary was used to record their dietary intake in 9 days.

Average dietary fiber intake in the normal-weight group was 2.73 +/− 0.65 g/MJ, while it was 2.15 +/− 0.64 g/MJ for the women in the obese group.

In both groups, the overall food intake was underreported.

In spite of a significantly lower dietary fiber intake in the obese group, the present population of women working within health care all showed an overall low dietary fiber intake and a general underreporting of food intake.

These results indicate a clear need for dietary advice especially on fiber intake to increase general health and decrease weight.